Two big rallies fueled LSU Alexandria’s baseball series sweep at Louisiana Christian in the Red River Conference opener for the Wildcats over the weekend.

Trailing 7-0, LSUA scored nine runs in the ninth inning of Friday’s series opener and scored a stunning victory. Saturday, after clinching the series with a 5-1 win in Game 2, LSUA recovered from a 6-0 Wildcats lead after two innings and scored 11 in the next three frames on the way to a 13-9 triumph in Game 3.

It is the first time the Generals (11-7, 6-0 RRAC) have swept the Wildcats (8-11, 0-3) since LCU joined the Red River Athletic Conference.

The Game 2 win was Kody Gautreaux’s 100^th career victory as the Generals’ skipper.

“Anytime you come here, you know it’s going to be three tough games,” said Gautreaux.

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Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

 

Feb. 23

Karson Kitchen 17, Woodworth – OWI first offense, careless operation of a vehicle, $1,100 bail;

Joe Nathan Venson Jr, 24, Alexandria — two counts attempted second-degree murder, four counts contempt of court, $2,500 bail;

Joe Dallas Wood, 41 Pollock – OWI first offense, operating vehicle while under certain suspensions, no insurance, open container, $1,700 bail.

 

Feb. 22

Joshua Lynn Andries, 34, Woodworth – possession of firearm by convicted felon, improper license plate, contempt of court, $10,100 bail;

Michelle Laurie Christian, 57, Pineville – issuing worthless checks, $1,000 bail;

Karra Nicholle Crayton, 44, Alexandria — attempted second degree murder, criminal damage to property, $17,500 bail;

Zachary Todd Erwin, 32, Alexandria – criminal damage to property, three counts contempt of court, $8,250 bail;

Timothy Demetrius Kennedy, 56, Alexandria – two counts theft, resisting a police officer, possession of controlled dangerous substance, $12,500 bail;

Thomas J. Lynch, 32, Deville  – OWI second offense, speeding, improper lane usage, improper window tint, $1,800 bail;

Michael Dewayne Mix, 23, Boyce – illegal possession of stolen firearm, firearm possession by convicted felon, possession of marijuana, contempt of court, $4,000 bail;

Matthew Tate Mobley, 49, Alexandria – theft second subsequent conviction, no bail data;

Edward O’Neal Murphy, 41, Forest Hill – possession of controlled dangerous substance, illegal carry firearm with drugs, paraphernalia, $2,000 bail;

Dillan Frank Nelson, 31, Deville – OWI second offense, improper window tint, $1,600 bail;

Terricke Jerome Payne, 45, Alexandria – two counts theft, obstruction of justice, $25,500 bail;

Torrie Kemon Wells, 29, Woodworth — criminal damage to property, simple assault, three counts contempt of court, $12,250 bail.

 

Feb. 21

Kevin Brister, 39, DeRidder – creating distributing counterfeit controlled dangerous substance with intent, paraphernalia, improper license plate, Louisiana fugitive, $5,600 bail;

James Herbert Coulter, 63, Pineville – indecent behavior with juveniles, sexual battery, $200,000 bail;

Edward D. Evans, 56, Calvin – Louisiana fugitive, contempt of court, $100 bail;

Robert Francisco Faircloth, 62, Alexandria – obscenity, $10,000 bail;

Thomas Randell Helverson, 58, Ruby — Louisiana fugitive, three counts contempt of court, $30,000 bail;

Amy Mertens, 38, Deville – legend drug possession, possession of controlled dangerous substance schedule 2 and schedule 4, improper multiple beam lighting distribution, taking contraband to and from penal institutions, $12,100 bail;

Kentravious Ja’Quon Prater, 20, Bunkie – domestic abuse battery with child present, theft, $3,000 bail;

Catherine Lynn Shevnin, 65, Pineville – OWI second offense, improper lane usage, $1,600 bail;

Daniel Drake Wehrle, 32, Pineville – domestic abuse battery strangulation, simple battery, contempt of court, probation violation, Louisiana fugitive, $6,000 bail.

 

Feb. 20

Lisa Bernard, 50, Boyce – possession of controlled dangerous substance schedule 1 and schedule 2, drug paraphernalia, illegal carry firearm with drugs, no turn signals, contempt of court, $6,600 bail;

Austin Rayshun Byrd, 29, Alexandria – sexual battery oral, computer-aided solicitation of a minor, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, $75,000 bail;

Danny Ray Dydzyk Jr, 52, Boyce – theft, nine counts contempt of court, $57.500 bail;

Herman D. Felton, 51, Colfax – possession of controlled dangerous substance, producing, manufacturing, dispensing cocaine with intent, possession of firearm by convicted felon, illegal carry firearm with drugs, $77,500 bail;

Jessie Darnell Hunter, 18, Pineville – first-degree robbery, criminal conspiracy, resisting an officer, obstruction of justice, possession of controlled dangerous substance, $36,000 bail;

Ethan Johnson, 17, Pineville – first-degree robbery, criminal conspiracy, resisting an officer, obstruction of justice, possession of controlled dangerous substance, $36,000 bail;

Evelyn Nicole Johnson, 42, Alexandria – burglary of inhabited dwelling, contempt of court, $22,000 bail;

Bobby Neal Jones Jr, 41, N/A – possession of controlled dangerous substance, contempt of court, $102,500 bail;

James Earl Jones, 62, Alexandria – aggravated robbery, criminal trespass, exploitation of the infirmed, $55,500 bail;

Jarvarous Dewayne Sanders, 22, Alexandria – four counts attempted second degree murder, three counts aggravated battery, four counts simple battery, illegal possession of stolen firearm, introducing contraband into penal facility, aggravated assault, armed robbery, $175,000 bail;

Jerry Jermaine Sheppard, 34, Colfax – Louisiana fugitive, two counts contempt of court, $200,000 bail;

Kevin Dewayne Slaughter Jr, 24, Alexandria – possession of firearm by convicted felon, resisting an officer, obstruction of justice, aggravated assault with a firearm, $55,500 bail.

 

Feb. 19

James Tillman Edward Cheek Sr, 33, Deville – DWI second offense, improper lane usage, operating a vehicle while under suspension for certain prior offenses, open container, $1,470 bail;

Bobby Ray Cheyne Jr, 49, Alexandria – three counts possession of controlled dangerous substance, trespassing/remaining after forbidden, paraphernalia, contempt of court, $7,600 bail:

Velma Rebecca Neathery, 38, Boyce – public intimidation and retaliation, $25,000 bail;

Jonathan Marvell Porter, 32, Alexandria – possession of firearm by convicted felon, wearing hood/mask in public, producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, possession of controlled dangerous substance, illegal carry firearm with drugs, resisting an officer, paraphernalia, two counts contempt of court, $68,000 bail;

Jerimiah Price, 21, Boyce – Louisiana fugitive, simple battery, criminal damage to property, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, battery of officer, $16,000 bail;

Victoria Emily Lane Vonwald, 35, Boyce – theft, criminal conspiracy, contempt of court, $12,500 bail.

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By JIM BUTLER

The Ball Zoning Committee will hear two requests for proposed residential projects at its March 3 meeting.

Changing the usage designation for 109 Tioga Road would permit construction of duplexes on the site.

The property is now zoned for business. Owner Michael Thompson is requesting a change to R-4 multi-family residential.

The site is just west of the road’s intersection with US Hwy. 165 North, the same intersection serving Paradise Road to the East.

A subdivision is the purpose of the other matter to be heard.

Variance to the R-3 residential minimum lot size requirement is sought for what is proposed as Cypress Point Subdivision on Daniels Road, which runs east of U.S. 165.

According to the town Zoning Ordinance, minimum lot size in R-3 is 10,900 square feet, a quarter-acre.

Notice of the hearing does not specify what minimum variance is being requested nor the petitioner.

The meeting is at the Town Hall, beginning at 6 p.m.

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Have you been craving Girl Scout cookies for the past several months? Has your stash of Thin Mints finally run out? Your wait is finally over! The Girl Scouts’ of Louisiana – Pines to Gulf Council held the kickoff to this year’s Girl Scout Cookie Program with a ribbon cutting at the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce office Thursday, Feb 20.

Since 1917 when a Girl Scout Troop in Oklahoma baked and sold cookies in their high school cafeteria, generations of young women have raised funds for their Troop’s activities in what has become an iconic American tradition. Along the way, the young women learn the five goals of the Girl Scout Cookie Program: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills, and Business Ethics. Girl Scout cookies are more than a delicious snack. When you buy a box, you help young women grow and flourish.

Girl Scout Cookie season runs from Feb 20 to March 31. 

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SHREVEPORT — LSUA’s basketball teams traveled up I-49 hoping to spring one upset Thursday night.

There was a shocker in the Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader finishing the regular season, but it wasn’t the one the visitors wanted.

The LSUA men, ranked No. 1 nationally in the NAIA Top 25, were knocked off by LSU Shreveport.

The LSUA women barely missed another surprise, falling by one to the RRAC regular-season champions.

LSUS MEN 101, LSUA 96:  The loss snapped a 19-game winning streak for the Generals (25-2, 22-2 RRAC) but while it will probably cost them the No. 1 ranking, it won’t affect their top seeding in the upcoming conference tournament or the automatic NAIA playoff berth they earned by rolling to the regular-season RRAC title.

Kashie Natt led LSUA with 30 points and 10 rebounds for his 14^th double-double of the season, and added a team-high five assists. Jakemin Abney scored 21 points as he went 9-for-14 from the field.  Jordan Decuir pitched in with 12 points.

The Pilots (18-10, 15-9) held the Generals to 29 percent shooting while building a 38-31 halftime lead

In an explosive second half, the Generals scored 65 points, but the Pilots tallied 63. LSUA knocked down 54.5 percent of its shots in the back half but the winner sank 56 percent, including 6 of 9 on 3-pointers, and drained 21 of 24 free throws.

The LSUS lead widened to 19, 71-56, with 9:42 remaining but LSUA began to chew into the deficit. Down by 11, the Generals scored 10 unanswered to move within 80-79 with just over five minutes to go.

But LSUS responded with a 9-2 run, pulling ahead 89-81. The Pilots kept the Generals out of reach, knocking down eight consecutive free throws over the next two minutes.

Tahjae Hill’s 27 points led five LSUS players in double figures on Senior Night for the Pilots at The Dock.

LSUS WOMEN 62, LSUA 61: The Generals raced to a 22-10 lead, but playing for outright ownership of the RRAC title, the Pilots rallied in the middle two quarters before the teams went toe-to-toe in the final 10 minutes.

There were four lead changes in the final period, the last with 5:55 left lifting LSUS ahead on a Paula Gonzales Herrero basket. LSUA tied the game but could not regain the lead and a partially blocked 3-point shot with five seconds left ultimately made the difference.

Nursing a 58-57 edge, LSUS got a pair of Helena Galunic baskets to open its biggest advantage of the game, 62-57 with 1:41 left. LSUA’s Benedetta Peracchi got an assist from Amani Gray with 1:14 left on a layup to make it a one-possession contest, but two potential tying treys in the final 33 seconds didn’t connect. The last one was deflected out of bounds with five seconds left on a block by LSUS’ Selma Markisic, but LSUA retained possession.

The Generals were unable to get off another 3-pointer, and Peracchi was fouled with one second left. She drained both free throws despite an LSUS timeout in between, but clinging to the one-point edge, the Pilots successfully inbounded and time ran out on the upset bid.

LSUS (24-3, 23-1) benefitted from a 26-10 advantage in points off turnovers, although the actual turnover count was deceptively close with the visitors giving it up 19 times to 15 for the Pilots.

Jewel Jones led the Generals (21-7, 17-6) with 16 points and Alexis Dyer finished with 15. Gray recorded a team-high 10 rebounds. Peracchi dished out six assists and recorded three steals.

When the RRAC Tournament begins next Friday at the Rapides Parish Coliseum, the LSUA women will be  the No. 3 seed in the eight-team, three-day event.

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The Louisiana Christian men’s basketball team weathered a big rally by Texas College Thursday night at H.O. West Fieldhouse but finished the game on a 22-12 run and posted a 13-point Red River Athletic Conference victory on Senior Night.

The LCU women absorbed an overtime loss. Making up a postponed visit to Texas College in January, the teams will rematch Saturday afternoon in Tyler to finish the regular season.

LCU MEN 85, TEXAS COLLEGE 73: The Wildcats built a commanding 19-point lead (54-35), watched the Steers nearly charge all the way back using a 28-6 run to make it a three-point game with 6:50 left (63-60).

LCU (14-13, 13-10 RRAC) got a season-best 28 points from junior Bryce Weinmunson, who hit 5-of-7 on treys and added four steals against Texas College (7-18, 6-17).

The Wildcats went 7-3 in games played at H.O. West Fieldhouse this year, the first winning record at home since going 8-6 in 2021-22.

With their 13th RRAC victory, the Cats secured a winning record in league play for the first time in three years, notching their most victories during conference action since snagging 14 in venerable retired coach Gene Rushing’s final season back in 2014-15.

Devin Carter matched his season average scoring output of 19 points, doing so by going a perfect 7-for-7 at the charity stripe on top of a personal-high in rebounds at eight. Drew Tebbe scored 14, going 4-of-6 on 3-pointers.

TEXAS COLLEGE 83, LCU WOMEN 78 (OT):  A four-game winning streak was snapped in a foul-fest, with a combined 59 whistles and LCU sinking a season-high 32 free throws.

Louisiana Christian (10-15, 10-13) got 22 points from sensational junior Princis Goff, who cracked the career 1,000 point mark 52 games into her days playing in Pineville. She added 10 rebounds for her 10^th double-double this season and 17^th of her career.

The Wildcats got another double-double performance, her first, by McKayla Price with a career-best 11 rebounds and 12 points, eight at the line. Deja Tanks played her last home game for LCU and posted 10 points and eight rebounds against Texas College (9-17, 8-15).

Dakota Howard brought back the Wildcats with a 3-pointer at the 1:04 mark of regulation and two free throws to knot the game at 65 with 32 seconds left. Neither team managed to get off a shot in the last half-minute.

Texas College never trailed in OT and hit 5-of-8 shots from the floor and went 6-of-8 at the line, while LCU was 2-for-6 from the floor but stayed in range sinking 8-of-9 free throws.

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Thursday’s scores involving parish teams in the first round of the LHSAA girls basketball playoffs:

Liberty 46, Tioga 45 (OT)

Buckeye 67, St. Charles 27

Lake Charles College Prep 38, Peabody 35

Glenmora 32, Castor 29

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By JIM BUTLER

Some attending this year’s Nursery Festival on Forest Hill will find getting about easier.

The Village Council at its February meeting voted to allow use of golf carts and side by sides on streets during the event.

The vehicles will facilitate access as well as assist in transport of items purchased at vendor booths.

One of the state’s premier festivals, the event annually hails Spring’s debut with the village awash in colors of countless plants and abuzz with amusement rides’ activity and an assortment of vendors.

This year’s event opens the afternoon-evening of Thursday, March 20 with rides and food booths The main event runs March 21-23, with the celebratory parade at 10 a.m. Saturday.

At the February 11 meeting the Council also authorized increasing police hours during the event.

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Girls basketball teams from Tioga, Buckeye and Peabody tip off the LHSAA playoffs at home tonight while high seeds ASH and Oak Hill enjoy first-round byes and will host second-round games Monday night.

All parish schools are in the Select category of state postseason competition.

Wednesday night, 10^th seeded Menard cruised past 23^rd-seeded Rapides in a Division III opening round game, and Northwood-Lena’s season ended with a 48-44 Division IV defeat at Ascension Catholic. Menard will go to No. 7 Newman in New Orleans on Monday.

In tonight’s local games, all tipping at 6 o’clock, Tioga, seeded 15^th in Division I, hosts 18^th seeded Liberty.  Buckeye, the ninth seed, welcomes No. 24 St. Charles Catholic while 11^th-seeded Peabody entertains No. 22 Lake Charles College Prep in a pair of Division II contests.

Glenmora, seeded 17^th in Class B, goes to No. 16 Castor tonight in a first-rounder.

ASH is seeded eighth in Division I and will host No. 9 Riverdale, a 61-33 victor over Kenner Discovery, in a Monday night second-round game.

Oak Hill is the No. 3 seed in Class B and will be at home Monday against either 14^th-seeded Hicks or No. 19 Family Community.

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When I was growing up and getting my introduction to the outdoors, there were two seasons of the year – hunting season, and fishing season. From early spring until October when cool weather hit, we fished. Once squirrel season opened, we hunted until spring came and it was time to fish again.

We never mixed the two, probably because we mistakenly thought that fish migrated like ducks and geese once the weather became cold. How wrong we were. Some of the year’s best bites take place at the same time you run the risk of encountering another bite – “frost bite.”

Recently, I ran across some excellent advice and tips from a couple of pro bass fishermen to help you catch more bass when the weather is cold and nasty. Some professional anglers actually like it when the weather and water turn cold and the bass turn off.  Like the top tier of professionals in any competition, they are practitioners of the philosophy expressed by the old saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” But that’s not the only thing that separates winners from losers. 

Winners know that in decent weather anybody could get lucky and win. But in nasty weather, especially the bitter, cold kind, most competitors lose focus and, losing focus, they lose tournaments. This process of self-elimination narrows the field of competitors and tilts the odds toward the diehards. 

“When someone tells you the bass won’t bite because the water’s too cold, just ignore them,” said Woo Daves, the Spring Grove, Va.-based winner of the 2000 BASS Masters Classic. A bundled-up Daves won that Classic by facing down a very cold, rough and windy Lake Michigan during a three-day northeaster. Daves and other cream-of-the-crop anglers, can testify to this 

from their trophies, cash, prizes and experience that bass do bite in cold water. They all agree; you just need to apply a little finesse.

Daves volunteers these cold water bass tips: “On rivers, fish backwaters and reverse currents where the water is warmer and the bass don’t have to fight the current. In deeper water, run to long flat points or channel bends. Cruise around and watch your depth finder for signs of baitfish. 

“Find the bait; find the bass,” said Daves, who has two favorite presentations. One is a ¾-ounce spoon, jigged vertically. The other is a dropshot rig, a ½-ounce weight on the bottom and a dropper hook about 12 to 18 inches up the line. Daves dresses it with a short, plastic worm and fishes it slowly. 

Mark Raveling, a pro angler out of Spring Park, Minn., preaches slow fishing, slow to the point of no rod movement at all. Dead sticking, it’s called. His favorite pattern is a steep drop-off close to a feeding area. He’ll fish a plastic worm with a jig head or, he’ll switch to either a Rapala jerk bait or to a Shad Rap or a Storm Wiggle Wart. 

“These baits crank down to a certain depth and remain at that depth until the angler winds them back to the rod. Here’s the drill: Crank it down. Wait. Wait some more. If you get a fish, stay put. There are more fish where that one came from and they’re suspended at the same depth,” said Raveling.

The advice of these and other bass fishing professionals can be summed up in two basic concepts for fishing cold weather bass. Downsize your lure, and slow down your retrieve. Give these techniques a try this winter for what could bring you some HOT cold weather bassin’. 

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

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Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

 

Feb. 19

Eli Barnes, 67, Alexandria – failure to renew sex offender registration, probation violation, $10,000 bail;

Ivan David Doyle, 41, Glenmora – possession of controlled dangerous substance, $2,500 bail;

Reginald Demon Jackson, 40, Alexandria – possession of controlled dangerous substance, paraphernalia, criminal trespass, contempt of court, $13,500 bail;

Ryan Aaron McVaugh, 38, Ruby – simple burglary, resisting an officer, contempt of court, $25,000 bail.

 

Feb. 18

Manuel Erazo Alvarado, 46, Annapolis, Md. – taking contraband to and from penal institutions, $2,500 bail;

Isaiah Deshawn Baylor, 22, Alexandria – aggravated strangulation domestic abuse battery, aggravated assault with a firearm, cruelty to juveniles, unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, domestic abuse battery, contempt of court, probation violation, $200,000 bail;

Jerry Wayne Brownell Jr, 45, Alexandria – aggravated burglary, possession of firearm by convicted felon, possession of controlled dangerous substance, paraphernalia, obstruction of justice evidence tampering, criminal damage to property, $3,000 bail;

Dorothy Mae Cullivan, 37, Alexandria – three counts contempt of court, $300,000 bail;

Robert Drakes III, 21, Alexandria – possession of controlled dangerous substance, illegal carry firearm with drugs, $15,000 bail;

Kevin Paul Fisher, 51, Alexandria – two counts simple burglary, $10,000 bail;

Brittany Laice Gonzales, 35, Woodworth – simple burglary, resisting an officer, battery on officer, three counts self-mutilation by a prisoner, criminal damage to property, $1,500 bail;

Johniesha Lashay Howard, 23, Alexandria – aggravated battery of healthcare official, four counts battery on officer, two counts contempt of court, $35,000 bail;

Jerald Wayne Huel, 30, Alexandria – possession of a weapon by convicted felon, illegal carry firearm second offense, probation violation, $25,000 bail;

Destin Mickial James, 33, Alexandria – possession of stolen vehicle, flight from an officer, three counts possession of firearm by convicted felon, illegal carry firearm with drugs, possession of controlled dangerous substance, parole violations, $76,500 bail;

Michael Jermaine Jarrell, 40, Alexandria – failure to register as a sex offender, aggravated second degree battery, resisting police with force or violence, two counts aggravated on a police officer, disturbing the peace sound amplification system, $32,000 bail;

Christopher Shane Michiels Sr, 44, Pineville – theft, $20,000 bail;

Christy Marie Pantallion, 40, Alexandria – simple assault, criminal damage to property, resisting an officer, $1,000 bail;

Quantavious Jamar Richards, 29, Alexandria – second-degree murder, illegal use of weapons (dangerous instrumentalities), obstruction of justice, three counts of possession of firearm by convicted felon, illegal possession of stolen firearm, two counts of illegal carry of firearm with drugs, obstruction of justice, two counts producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer, three counts fugitive in Louisiana, two counts extradition proceedings, simple battery, contempt of court, taking contraband to and from penal institutions, criminal conspiracy, $903,000 bail.

Richard Allen Seymour, 57, Alexandria – simple burglary, possession of controlled dangerous substance, possession of synthetic cannabinoid, $3,000 bail;

Tayshaun Lamar Spearman, 20, Alexandria – two counts second degree murder, two counts armed robbery, obstruction of justice, assault drive-by shooting, aggravated criminal damage, producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, contraband taking to and from penal institutions, criminal conspiracy, $2,575,000 bail;

Terrance Benard Swafford, 35, Alexandria – possession of stolen vehicle, flight from officer, illegal possession of stolen firearm, three counts possession of firearm by convicted felon, aggravated assault with a firearm, $225,000 bail;

Mardarius Tyrell Taylor, 24, Alexandria – possession controlled dangerous substance, illegal carry firearm with drugs, expired plate/registration, $15,100 bail;

Demetrius Dontae Demond Tucker, 38, Alexandria – flight from officer, two counts resisting an officer, possession of stolen vehicle, $11,000 bail;

Troymond Jermain Wilson, 36, Pineville – theft, two counts contempt of court, $2,000 bail,

 

Feb. 17

Alan Robert Augustus, 21, Alexandria – illegal possession of a firearm, home invasion aggravated assault, contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, $500 bail;

Issiac Dashawn Baylor, 22, Alexandria – OWI first offense, contributing to delinquency of minors, home invasion aggravated assault, illegal possession of stolen firearms, two counts contempt of court, $12,000 bail;

Javathan Bullions Jr, 17, Alexandria – home invasion aggravated assault, contributing to delinquency of juveniles, illegal possession of a stolen firearm, $2,500 bail;

Christopher Ricardo Holmes, 19, Alexandria – OWI first offense, improper license plate lights, $1,100 bail;

Christopher James Johnson, 40, Woodworth – simple burglary, criminal trespass, $500 bail;

Kevin Windale Jones, 47, Alexandria – aggravated battery, $50,000 bail;

Martin Lopez, 19, Glenmora – domestic abuse battery, aggravated assault domestic abuse, $15,000 bail;

Jametra Kelso McNair, 35, Dallas – possession controlled dangerous substance, expired license plate registration, illegal carry firearm with drugs, $1,000 bail;

Marilyna Radford-Buckner, 22, Alexandria – illegal possession of a stolen firearm, flight from an officer, contributing to the delinquency of juveniles, $2,500 bail.

 

Feb. 16

Carl Anthony Berry Jr, 27, Pineville – theft, disturbing the peace, contempt of court, $3,500 bail;

Kevin Joseph DeSoto, 35, Pineville – aggravated battery, simple assault, disturbing the peace, criminal trespass, $2,000 bail;

Rebecca W. Foster, 46, Elm Grove – theft, criminal trespass, criminal damage to property, criminal mischief, $4,000 bail;

Kimberly Renee Goodman, 42, Alexandria – theft, resisting an officer, contempt of court, $11,000 bail;

Charles Edward Hampton Jr, 42, Lake Charles – producing manufacturing dispensing with intent controlled dangerous substance, improper headlight equipment, $1,600 bail;

Arterio Deville Harris, 42, Alexandria – OWI first offense, domestic abuse battery, criminal trespass, driving under suspension/revocation, open container, $2,870 bail;

Jerome Devon Hobbs, 41, Alexandria – theft, resisting an officer, criminal trespass, $1,500 bail;

Antonio Aleskia McNeal, 57, Woodworth – OWI second offense, open container, careless operation of a vehicle, $1,700 bail.

Elijah Eugene Turner, 22, Pineville – illegal use of weapons/dangerous instrumentalities, $2,500 bail.

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Gov. Landry’s version of Musk’s Mauraders will find ample starting points according to the latest audit of Louisiana government.

Landry, drafting on President Trump’s lead, has created a Government Efficiency Task Force and charged it with finding ways to make state government more efficient and fiscally responsible.

Where to start could be the first question, based on the Legislative Auditor’s Office latest comprehensive annual report, posted February 14.

The $28 billion in federal funds spent by the state could be the place. Examples:

The La. Workforce Commission over the past four fiscal years has identified about 110,000 paid claims totaling $866 million with various unresolved issues indicating potential overpayment. The same shortcoming in oversight has been noted five consecutive years;

The Department of Hospitals, with more audit findings than Carter has pills, failed last year to screen about one of every four providers in the Children’s Health Insurance Program managed care and dental program, resulting in $42.3 million in questionable costs;

Department of Children & Family Services, for the 12th consecutive year, failed to assure funds, $16 million in this audit, for Temporary Assistance for Needy Children used only for eligible children and their families.

From federal funds accounting the committee can go any direction in the web that is state government. 

Agency size or location is no restriction on questionable issues, according to the report.

Louisiana, like the District of Columbia, has plenty of swamp. 

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The Red River Rivalry softball matchup Tuesday was a romp by No. 21-ranked LSU Alexandria as the Generals swept a drizzly Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader in Pineville at Louisiana Christian University 10-2 and 11-2.

Posting five-inning run-rule victories, LSUA improved to 9-1 overall and LCU dipped to 6-4 as both teams came off long breaks and began their RRAC schedules.

“Awesome day,” LSUA coach Trent Partridge said.  “We came out and swung the bats well. We didn’t get to have quality practices last week, so I was a little worried about the offense, but I’m extremely proud of them. Our big thing is we want to try and score in every inning and we did that in the second game. Both of them (pitchers Haley Primrose and Alyssa Soileau) filled up the zone.”

In the opener, the Generals put together a pair of innings with crooked numbers on the scoreboard for the victory.

Primrose (5-1) tossed a complete game. She allowed five hits while striking out nine hitters. She also drove in a pair at the plate.

Madi Baker, Kaetlyn Dunbar and Jillian Howell also each drove in two runs. Baker recorded a pair of hits. LSUA finished with eight and drew six walks.

Primrose opened the scoring in the top of the first, lacing a two-run single down the right field line. A two-RBI double from Howell doubled the lead.

The Wildcats replied immediately on a two-run homer by Jordan Dauthier to cut the margin in half.

A bases-loaded walk and a trio of RBI singles from Baker, Kwakernaak, and Dunbar pushed six runs across in the fourth inning for the Generals.

In the second game, LSUA’s offense remained hot while LCU committed five errors, helping the visitors score five unearned runs.
Soileau (3-0) earned the win, pitching four innings and scattering five hits. She struck out a pair and did not issue a free pass.

Kilee Moody went 3-for-4, drove in two runs, and scored three. Baker collected a pair of hits, two RBI, and scored twice.

The Generals scored in every inning. Kwakernaak struck first in the opening frame, driving in Moody with an RBI single.

A single from Howell, an error and an RBI groundout plated three runs in the second. The Wildcats got two runs back in their half of the frame on a Karlie Stine sacrifice fly and an RBI single by Mariel Medrano to make it 4-2.

Over the next three innings, the Generals scored on an RBI single from Baker, RBI doubles by Haley Fontenot and Moody, as well as a pair of errors from the Wildcats.

LCU returns to RRAC play at home Friday in a 2 p.m. doubleheader against Texas A&M-Texarkana. LSUA hosts Jarvis Christian in a league twinbill Saturday at 1.

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On the heels of Presidents’ Day, which is often promoted with a picture of Mount Rushmore, I am proposing a Mt. Rushmore for Louisiana sports legends.

But here’s the problem. There are four presidents on Mt. Rushmore, and so I want to keep my selection to four people, rather than add a fifth. Or plead the fifth.

I want to limit the choices to people who are no longer active in their sport so their legacy has had time to settle, to ferment, to stand the test of time.

I’ve got three locked in, with their profiles ready to be sculpted, but I wavered on No. 4 before finally deciding.

My top three are: Eddie Robinson, Skip Bertman and Shaquille O’Neal.

Robinson coached football at Grambling from 1941-97, except for a two-year hiatus during World War II, and when he retired, he was the winningest coach in the history of college football with 408 wins. He died at age 88 in 2007. He still ranks third overall behind only John Gagliardi, who spent most of his coaching career a St. John’s in Minnesota, with 489 victories, and Penn State’s Joe Paterno (490).

What’s more, Robinson was one of the best ambassadors for not only Grambling but college football in general with his smile and wit and charm. He had a knack for making anyone he met feel like they were best friends. He may have been the most patriotic sports legend our state has ever had. He didn’t just teach football, he taught the values of hard work, courage and unselfishness he learned as a sharecropper’s son.   

Bertman’s legacy as LSU’s baseball coach is unmatched, resurrecting a baseball program that was an afterthought (with a few exceptions) on campus  until he got there. He guided the Tigers to five national championships, seven Southeastern Conference titles and 11 College World Series appearances in 18 years. Like Robinson in football, Bertman was an outstanding ambassador for college baseball. Skip was the key figure in making the SEC a baseball powerhouse conference, not to mention triggering the game’s surge of popularity in recent decades.

The charismatic O’Neal may be among the top 5-10 most recognizable people in the world after his brilliant basketball career that blossomed at LSU and climbed to an elite level in 19 years in the NBA. Standing 7-foot-1, 325 pounds, Shaq was a fierce competitor on the floor, playing for three NBA championship teams and 15 All-Star games, and with youngsters he is a gentle giant off the court. He is a member of both the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and he National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and was voted among the NBA’s 75 Greatest Players.

Number 4? I thought about Archie Manning, Pete Maravich or Grambling/New York Knicks icon Willis Reed, or making an exception to my rule about no active participants and including Hammond hoops legend, former La. Tech women’s basketball star and current LSU coaching phenom and fashion queen Kim Mulkey.

My top three have what I called the “beloved” factor in addition to being superior achievers. That’s why I like Manning and Reed, for example. Young people, I’m sure, don’t appreciate what each of them meant to their team and their professional team’s city. Maravich, simply for his unbelievable, unprecedented and uncanny basketball skills in a life that tragically ended at age 40, must be considered.

But I’m siding with Archie Manning. He was nicknamed “Super-Manning” during his thrilling, heroic years at Ole Miss, and had he played for a top-notch NFL team, he’d have ranked among the all-time great QBs and made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. As it was, he was the NFC Most Valuable Player in 1978, despite playing for a Saints team that finished 7-9.

After his playing career, he and his wife, Olivia, chose to make New Orleans his residence, and for 50 years they have been valuable citizens of the city. He owns a sports bar and grill, and just last week, the Children’s Hospital there was renamed the Manning Family Children’s Hospital, including sons Cooper, Peyton and Eli. Archie has also influenced and inspired many quarterbacks through relationships built over nearly three decades at the Manning Passing Academy each summer in Hammond.

Archie Manning is to New Orleans what the late Cardinals baseball great Stan Musial was to St. Louis. That’s why he gets my vote to be in this elite foursome. And my vote and a buck 25 will buy you a 5-ounce box of Whoppers.

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The No. 21-ranked LSU Alexandria softball team plays today at Louisiana Christian in a Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader beginning at 3 o’clock at Wildcat Field in Pineville, in the league opener for the Red River rivals.

The Generals (7-1) took last week off after opening the season in a pair of tournaments. They have won four straight games.
The Wildcats are 6-2. Their last outing was a 5-0 loss to No. 14 William Carey in the final game of the Generals Showdown on Feb. 8. William Carey topped LSUA 7-4 in that tournament.

The Generals are 6-12 all-time against the Wildcats. They are 2-7 when playing on the road. LSUA has won the last two meetings.

Emma Hunt leads the Wildcats’ offense with an average of .455. She has scored seven runs and stolen eight bases in nine attempts. Hunt has drawn six walks and has an OBP of .571. Mariel Medrano leads LCU in runs batted in with 10. She is hitting .280 with an on-base percentage of .355. The Wildcats are hitting .285 as a team and have hit five homers. They have scored 49 runs and stolen 13 bases.

In the circle, Addison Greak and Morgan Louviere have both posted 2-0 records to start the season. Greak has tossed two complete games, one a shutout. She has an ERA of 0.50 and a WHIP of 0.86. Louviere has an ERA of 1.62 and a WHIP of 0.77 and has thrown one complete game shutout.

LSUA has a team batting average of .404 with 13 home runs and 62 RBI, with 30 steals in 33 tries. The Generals already have had two players, catcher Madi Baker and infielder Julia Kwakernaak, win RRAC Player of the Week honors.

Kwakernaak, a native of the Netherlands, bats .417 with a team-best 4 home runs and 9 RBI and a team-high 1.042 slugging percentage.

Baker, an Australian, is hitting .429 and has driven in a team-best 11 runs in six games, including a walk-off grand slam against Oklahoma Panhandle.

Alyssa Soileau and Haley Primrose are two-way weapons for LSUA, as pitchers and position players. Soileau tops the Generals with a .615 batting average and is 3-3 in the circle with a 1.78 ERA. Primrose is hitting .444 and is the staff ace with a 4-1 record, a 1.63 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP as opponents hit only .217 against her.

More top offensive weapons for today’s visitors include Haley Fontenot, who has  a .500 batting average, team-best 16 runs scored, team-high 11 steals (in 11 attempts), with a homer and 5 RBI; Kaetlyn Dunbar (.458, 1 HR, 8 RBI) and Kilee Moody (.458, 8 RBI).

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By JIM BUTLER

A legislative panel meets Thursday to consider funding for expanding youthful offender facilities, including $38 million for Renaissance Juvenile Detention.

Money was allocated last year by the Legislature to provide more detention capability, particularly for 17-year-olds awaiting trial or convicted.

Sheriff Mark Wood and his counterparts in seven other area parishes drafted the expansion plan and will oversee it.

Renaissance cleared its first formal hurdle last Thursday when a legislative advisory committee recommended it and three other proposals for this initial funding round.

Working in Renaissance’s favor were such factors as the just-renewed property tax for its maintenance and operation that provides dedicated revenue, as well as the fact it has land available for the addition. 

The revenue from Rapides and the other parishes and payments for housing state-assigned offenders (17 beds held in reserve for such use) will pay operation costs.

As reported initially reported by the Rapides Parish Journal in December, Rapides, Grant, Avoyelles, LaSalle, Vernon, Winn, Catahoula and Concordia will kick in a total of $2.67 million for the proposed operating budget of the expanded facility and the state Office of Juvenile Justice $1.55 million in guaranteed daily bed rate (30% of the beds reserved for OJJ), according to the proposal submitted to the Division of Administration.

Rapides will contribute about $2.2 million of the local funding through Renaissance’s just-renewed property tax.

The expansion of the current facility at Bayou Rapides Road and Vandenburg Drive will add 56 beds.

About $500 million in requests were submitted for funding, several having nothing to do with the juvenile justice system, and underwent screening and scoring by Division of Administration staff and state/local stakeholders.

Once scored on the pre-determined point system, the applications went to the Criminal Justice Priority Funding Commission.

Louisiana Illuminator first reported last week’s vote. 

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The Louisiana Christian basketball teams made their western swing a sweep Saturday, following wins over Southwest in Hobbs, N.M. on Thursday with a pair of victories Saturday in Dallas over teams from Paul Quinn.

LCU’s regular season ends at home Thursday with six men’s players and three women set for Senior Night honors in a doubleheader at H.O. West Fieldhouse starting with a 5:30 women’s game, followed by the men scheduled for 7:30.

Firing on all cylinders Saturday afternoon might be an understatement as the men from Pineville won 88-73, climbing back to .500 (13-13) overall and moving to 12-10 in the Red River Athletic Conference.

The Wildcats made more than half their shots for the fourth time (34-of-66, 51.5 percent), topped 20+ assists (24) for the second time, committed less than 10 turnovers (9) for the third time, blocked a season-high seven shots, and boasted a +10 or better (41-29, +12) rebounding margin for the seventh time.

Devin Carter scored 25, topping 20 on the scoreboard for the 10^th time this year, and made five or more three-pointers (5-for-11) for the eighth time, while swiping a team/season-best trio of steals and dishing out four assists.

Chukwuemeke Nwaoshai had a Saturday to remember, collecting personal bests in points (13), field goals (6-of-7), and blocks (4) on top of registering his first multi-assist outing (2), while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds.

Bryce Weinmunson sank a season-best seven buckets while pouring in 17 points. Jon’Quarius McGhee scored 14 bench points in 19 minutes as he went 5-for-5 overall, 2-of-2 from distance, and made both of his freebies.

LCU WOMEN 77, PAUL QUINN 69:  The Wildcats won their fourth straight row behind a pair of monster afternoons from Princis Goff and Kylei Leblanc.

The Orange and Blue got back to playing bully ball on the glass, posting a +19 rebounding margin of 51-32 as they improved to 10-12 in the RRAC, 10-14 overall. Paul Quinn slipped to 10-15 overall, 9-3 in conference.

LCU came out on fire and never let off the gas, outscoring the Tigers by 13 in the first quarter (23-10) and never looking back.

Goff notched her ninth double-double of 2024-25 and 16th as a Wildcat with 20 points and a season-best 12 rebounds. It was her 15th game of the year with at least 20 points scored as she sank 10-of-10 from the free throw line and logged four assists.

Leblanc also saw the stat sheet using double-double vision, doing so for the fifth time thanks to a personal/game-best 14 boards in addition to 13 points.

Deja Tanks scored 15 points and snagged eight rebounds in just 21 minutes.

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In fitting style, senior All-American guard Kashie Natt posted another in a long line of double-doubles Saturday to lead the No. 1-ranked LSUA men’s basketball to a 97-67 Senior Day victory over Texas A&M-San Antonio.

The Generals (25-1) have already clinched the Red River Athletic Conference championship and raised their league record to 22-1. They have won 19 straight games. They also finished their regular season home slate with a perfect 13-0 record. It is the first time the Generals have been undefeated in the regular season at The Fort since 2016-17.

Natt led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds and made four steals and a block. Jakemin Abney contributed 13 points, while both Jordan Decuir and Jason Perry II finished with 11. Bryce Journee completed the double-digit scorers with 10 points.

The Purple and Gold stormed out to a 20-6 lead in just over six minutes of play and never looked back. They reached a 25-point advantage, 34-11, with 8:36 left in the first on a pair of free throws from EJ McQuillan.
 
The Jaguars (5-21, 4-18 RRAC) narrowed their deficit to 15, but the Generals took a 49-26 lead into halftime.

A jumper from Abney midway through the second half pushed the lead to 30, 75-45, for the first time.

LSUA is back in action on Thursday night at LSU Shreveport for the regular season finale. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 after a 5:30 women’s matchup.

LSUA WOMEN 76, TEXAS A&M-TEXARKANA 63:  With their four seniors scoring at least 10 points on Senior Day, the Generals improved to 21-6 overall and 18-5 in the RRAC.

Dannah Martin-Hartwick led the group with 18, while Benedetta Peracchi  posted 14, Amani Gray scored 13 and Jewel Jones added 12.

“They’ve been consistent all year,” coach Billy Perkins said of his seniors. “Very proud of their effort and knocking down shots when we need shots to keep winning games.”

Justice Young recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Young also tied the LSUA single game record for blocks, set earlier this year by Gray against Paul Quinn college, with five.

The Generals posted an 11-3 mark at The Fort this season, tying the school record for most wins at home, previously achieved in 2018-19.

The Purple and Gold also locked up the third seed in the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament for the second straight year.

The Generals outshot the Jaguars (21-6, 18-5 RRAC) 53-26 percent in the first quarter and held a 22-13 lead. LSUA weathered a rally before going to halftime ahead 36-29.

LSUA went on a 11-2 run to open the third quarter, extending their lead to 47-31. After a three from the Jaguars, the Generals opened another run, this time scoring seven unanswered points for a 54-34 lead.

The Generals’ lead hovered near 17 for the remainder of the contest.

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Arrests are accusations, not convictions.

Feb. 16

Samuel Joseph Bass, 31, Deville – two counts contempt of court, $3,000 bail;

Charles Curtis Mullins Sr, 40, Alexandria – OWI first offense, open container, display of temporary license plates, $1,200 bail;

Antoine K. Williams, 35, Pineville – two counts contempt of court, $2,000 bail.

 

Feb. 15

Jacob Joel Belgard, 20, Boyce – OWI first offense, careless operation, $1,100 bail;

James Clifford Brooks, 28, Alexandria – carnal knowledge of a juvenile, $30,000 bail;

Lacy Ann Field, 30, Pineville – impersonating a peace officer, reckless operation, $1,000 bail;

Shehava Neshanarra Fulton, 27, Bunkie – battery of a dating partner first offense, contempt of court, $5,000 bail;

Zackary Robert Gills, 33, Pineville – OWI first offense, improper lane usage, $1,100 bail;

Nicole Marie Kimble, 48, Alexandria – OWI first offense, improper lane usage, $1,100 bail;

Shelton Ray Morris Jr, 48, Lecompte – three counts simple burglary, aggravated robbery, criminal damage to property, $13,500 bail;

Lonnie Verdell Papayanis, 31, Alexandria – theft, 13 counts contempt of court, $22,000 bail;

Chanston Townley, 21, Oakdale – unauthorized entry into critical infrastructure (burglary), no bail data;

Brandon Joseph Wells, 39, Deville – theft, possession of controlled dangerous substance, $3,000 bail.

 

Feb. 14

Tyshaela Tashion Davison, 25, Alexandria – unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, no driver’s license, three counts contempt of court, probation violation, $41,100 bail;

Delmarco Xavier Franklin, 27, Alexandria – home invasion (simple assault), no bail data;

Demottria Shundra Fuller, 41, Pineville – producing manufacturing distributing with intent, possession of controlled dangerous substance, paraphernalia, parole violations, $27,500 bail;

Daniel Ray Hansen Jr., 18, Pontchatoula – Louisiana fugitive, no bail data;

Timothy Dewayne Logan Jr., 25, Pineville – aggravated assault with firearm, two counts criminal trespass, possession controlled dangerous substance, two counts improper opening of vehicle doors, four counts resisting an officer, four counts hit and run, two counts speeding, two counts driving under suspension/revocation, unattended vehicle, three counts possession of a firearm by convicted felon, three counts illegal carrying of a weapon, five counts contempt of court, parole violations, simple assault, flight from an officer, license plates required, no insurance, possession of marijuana, paraphernalia, domestic abuse battery, producing manufacturing dispensing of controlled dangerous substance, unattended vehicle, improper turn, simple obstruction of highway, $315,750 bail;

J’Mari M. Jordan, 17, Alexandria – carrying a firearm on school property, obstruction of justice, $35,000 bail;

Jaquarius Deonte Sewell, 29, Alexandria – producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, $300,000 bail;

Sammie Ray Sewell III, 30, Alexandria – producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, drug paraphernalia, obstruction of justice, intentional littering, no signals, $111,100 bail;

Kerry L. Smith, 57, Alexandria – six counts of simple burglary, probation violation, $60,000 bail;

Samuel Gene Spencer, 22, Houma – five counts attempted second-degree murder, simple escape, criminal mischief, criminal damage to property, simple battery, two counts theft of firearm, two counts aggravated robbery, $681,500 bail;

Micah Stevenson, 25, Alexandria – possession of firearm by convicted felon, probation violation, $10,000 bail;

April Kelly Strong, 31, Alexandria – theft, simple escape, two counts contempt of court, probation violation, $28,000 bail;

Jamesetta Lasette Vorise, 33, Alexandria – obstruction of justice, contempt of court, $11,000 bail;

Matthew Bayaze Watson Jr, 73, Alexandria – theft legend drug prescription, burglary inhabited dwelling, Louisiana fugitive, $2,000 bail;

Stanley Dewayne White Jr., 22, Pineville – producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, illegal carry firearm with drugs, drug paraphernalia, improper display of license plate, $125,600 bail.

 

Feb. 13

Breanna Nicole Baham, 27, Pineville – theft, contempt of court, $2,500 bail;

Tyrik Demitri Brown, 25, Alexandria – domestic abuse battery, possession of marijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, improper display of license plate, $3,100 bail;

Linzey Erin Dauzart, 27, Pineville – possession of controlled dangerous substance, possession of marijuana, two counts legend drug possession, paraphernalia, firearm possession by convicted felon, improper window tint, careless operation of a vehicle, safety belt violation, $3,300 bail;

Gregory Allen Franklin Jr., 37, Pineville – attempted second degree murder, false imprisonment with a dangerous weapon, theft of a motor vehicle, $60,000 bail;

David LaFrance, 17, Alexandria – aggravated battery, criminal conspiracy, carrying weapons on school property, cruelty to juveniles, $95,000 bail;

Teddy Cleveland Green, 32, Pineville – reckless operation of a vehicle, flight from an officer, speeding, no head lights, no driver’s license, improper display of license plate, switched license plate, aggravated obstruction of highway, failure to secure registration, no signals, three counts contributing to delinquency of juveniles, $19,500 bail;

Monica Denise McNeal, 50, Pineville – aggravated second degree battery, obstruction of justice evidence tampering, contempt of court, probation violation, $35,264.50 bail;

Rick Keith Savoy, 58, Hessmer – hit and run driving (no death/serious injury), switched license plate, canceled plate violation, $1,500 bail;

Larry Walker, 19, Alexandria – theft ($1,000-$5,000), no bail data;

Kwivarius Donzell Williams, 34, Pineville – safety belt violation, resisting an officer, three counts contempt of court, $7,600 bail;

Violisha Williams, 27, Pineville – stalking, criminal damage to property, two counts obstruction of justice, $3,000 bail.

 

Feb. 12

Justin Glenn Bennett, 32, Boyce – three counts contempt of court, $350,000 bail;

Kera Karell Chaney, 40, Alexandria – three counts domestic abuse with child present, criminal damage to property, $30,500 bail;

William James Folse, 48, Pineville – possession of controlled dangerous substance, producing, manufacturing, distributing with intent, illegal firearm with drugs, possession/concealed carry by person convicted of domestic abuse battery, running stop sign, Louisiana fugitive, $4,100 bail;

Jason Michael Foy Jr, 18, Pineville – producing manufacturing distributing marijuana, possession of marijuana, contributing to delinquency of juveniles, $16,000 bail;

Toby Deanthony Hall, 35, Alexandria – possession of fentanyl, contraband to and from penal institutions, three counts contempt of court, $31,000 bail;

Richard Nelson, 47, Alexandria – OWI first offense, improper driving on left, modified exhaust, windshield required, driver’s license not in possession, $1,400 bail;

Gary Randall Peart Jr., 47, Bentley – possession of marijuana, possession of schedule two drugs, $3,000 bail.

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Mike McConathy transformed a long-struggling basketball program at Northwestern State, and didn’t take long to do it.

Then the Bossier City native stayed at it for a long time, 23 seasons total with the Demons, 39 in the college ranks – folding in the 16 years he started and steered the Bossier Parish Community College program, and a few years before that coaching at his alma mater, Airline High School.

His place in sports history goes past the great success he sparked at both schools, and his remarkable playing days at Airline and Louisiana Tech. He will probably forever rank as Louisiana’s winningest college basketball coach, shaking hands smiling 682 times from that inaugural season at BPCC through the end of the 2021-22 campaign in Natchitoches.

When NSU athletic director Greg Burke gave McConathy the Demons’ job in March 1999, there was little to build on from the 24-year Division I history of the program – just five winning seasons, no NCAA Tournament appearances, low expectations. At his introduction, McConathy talked about restoring the level of extended success at Northwestern in the late 1940s and 1950s, when his father Johnny and uncles Leslie and George came from Bienville Parish to stack up 20-win seasons like logs outside their farmhouse six miles from the infamous site of Bonnie and Clyde’s demise in 1934. As a little boy, Johnny heard the roar of the gunshots, and never forgot that sound.

With his dad proudly standing nearby years later with about 30 family members, NSU’s new coach almost sounded delusional. It seemed an even steeper climb when he didn’t chase off the players on hand to stock his first roster with transfers, players he coached or watched or heard about from the junior college ranks. He told the players on hand it was their team, not his, and went about finding the best they had to offer.

That 1999-2000 season was all about his first program tenet – “Making Believers.” In what became a recurring pattern, McConathy’s Demons hit their stride about the middle of the Southland Conference race, and soared all the way to the SLC Championship game, just seven points shy of the Big Dance.

They got there the next year, in 2001, and won the first-ever Opening Round game in Dayton. Soon after came two straight Southland regular-season titles, the mind-bending 2006 March Madness stunner over Big Ten Conference champion Iowa, and longstanding status as a Southland and mid-major stalwart.

It’s the long list of on-court accomplishments that will not fade from the record books. But how he went about it, and his profound impact on the people in and around the Demons’ program, stretching not only across campus and through Natchitoches but all around north and central Louisiana, are even bigger reasons that Saturday is a very, very special day at Prather Coliseum.

In a halftime ceremony of NSU’s 3:30 game against Stephen F. Austin, Mike McConathy Court will be dedicated. The name’s been on the floor all season long and the decision was announced as his tenure as coach ended in March 2022. Saturday, it becomes official, and many of his 254 players, coaches and staff members from NSU – and BPCC – will be there to see it happen.

Why? Because the second, and most important part of his core philosophy has shaped their lives: “Championship Basketball with a Purpose.”  The guiding principle was to assure the players grew as people and left with degrees. Over 90 percent departed with diplomas, in a sport where the overall graduation rate among the 350 or so Division I programs has hovered under 40 percent.

They learned much more than basketball and academics in a program whose third core standard was “The MVP of Our Team IS Our Team.” Everybody in the program had value, from student managers and junior varsity players to the most prominent and productive stars like Jalan West, Zeek Woodley, Clifton Lee, and Chris Thompson – all north Louisiana grown, another tenet. Out of state recruits were the exception, not the norm, in McConathy’s tenure.

To further appreciate “Coach Mike’s” approach, consider these names: Colby Koontz, Lanky Wells, Demetress Bell, Trey Gilder, Stephen Kim. Bell and Gilder became pro athletes. Koontz never played a minute. Kim played only a few seconds. And Wells, a tremendous teammate of McConathy’s during their stellar playing days in the mid-‘70s at Louisiana Tech, was the oldest “student manager” you’ve ever seen.

Koontz was a sturdy 6-9 post, a prized recruit whose parents were standout Oklahoma Sooner athletes. A month before his freshman season, he ran into an elbow in practice and sustained a severe concussion. It not only proved to be the end to his playing days, but it challenged the 4.0 student’s career path to becoming a doctor. McConathy nurtured him through treatment, four years of persistence on his academic path at Northwestern, and today Koontz is a physician back home on Oklahoma.

Kim was a graduate assistant athletic trainer from Baylor and a hoops junkie, a gym rat. His idea of fun was putting up more shots after practices than the players did during workouts. In the last game of his final season with the Demons, McConathy let him dress out. Needing a 3-pointer to tie in the final few seconds, he put in Kim – as a decoy, not to shoot, but to set a pick. The shooter missed, but Kim did exactly what he was asked in his one shining moment of playing Division I basketball.

Bell, a Summerfield standout, was Karl Malone’s son. He was a few inches shorter, and several pounds heavier, than the Mailman. “D-Bell” was a solid role player for McConathy in 88 games, and two years in, he shared an interest in giving football a try. He never had pulled on a pad or helmet but his basketball coach blessed the experiment.

Three seasons later, Bell lined up at offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills. He started 35 games in his four NFL seasons – after earning his undergraduate degree at Northwestern. How many coaches would give a prized recruit the blessing to focus on another sport? McConathy knew it was Bell’s best shot to blossom.

Gilder was a talented junior college player, a rail-thin 6-8 swingman from Dallas who was unsure about his immediate future and unsteady on the academic front. McConathy kept a scholarship open long after spring signings, giving Gilder time to sort through his ambitions and get his grades in order, and welcomed him to NSU at the 11^th hour. Two seasons later, Gilder graduated and began a 15-year professional playing career that included brief stays with four NBA teams.

Helping him settle down and chart his path was Wells. The Arkansas native made the Southland Conference All-Decade Team for the 1970s for his 16-point career average for the Bulldogs, then played pro ball in Europe and Mexico before joining the Army and six years later, beginning two decades with the U.S. Postal Service. But he hadn’t finished his degree, and he felt hypocritical as he urged his children through their college years.

McConathy treasured his teammate’s impeccable character. He discovered a new state program that helped long-dormant students return to college, convinced Wells to become a student coach (technically a manager to comply with NCAA rules), and two years later, in 2009, Wells was a Northwestern graduate.

Wells then earned a master’s degree from Grambling and resumed working as a minister before he passed away suddenly in 2017. McConathy gave the eulogy for his friend, who was a magnetic presence on every path he followed.

Wells will be among those in McConathy’s heart Saturday. “From a spiritual end and his strong beliefs in doing the right thing, Lanky is a tremendous influence for our players,” the head coach told legendary Ruston sportswriter Buddy Davis for a 2008 story.

The same can still be said about Mike McConathy – a great coach, but a much greater figure in countless lives inside, and beyond, the game. He’s set a standard that we can only hope will be modeled for generations to come.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

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HOBBS, N.M. – Two nailbiters went to the visiting teams from Louisiana Christian Thursday night at Southwest, with the women prevailing 82-80 and LCU’s men winning 74-71 to sweep the Red River Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Devin Carter’s 22 points led the LCU men (12-13 overall, 11-10 in the RRAC). Bryce Weinmunson scored 16, Corey Lombard had 12 and Omarion Layssard contributed 10 as Southwest fell to 14-10 overall and 11-10 in conference.

For the LCU women, Mckayla Price topped the scoring with 16 and Beyionce George pitched in 15 off the bench. Reigning RRAC Player of the Week Princis Goff added 12 as the Wildcats topped Southwest (12-13, 8-13).

LCU heads east to play a Saturday twinbill at Paul Quinn in Dallas.

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In its first game since moving up to the No. 1 spot in the NAIA Top 25 poll, the LSU Alexandria Generals men’s basketball team cracked the century mark for the fourth time this season in a 100-73 victory over Our Lady of the Lake Thursday night at The Fort.

“That was an example of dominating,” LSUA coach Dimario Jackson said. “That’s what we talked to our guys about doing. Was it perfect? No. Did we do everything right? No. But we competed like we’ve been asking these guys to for 40 minutes. That’s been the last two games which means we are trending in the right direction.”

The win came over a very competitive Red River Athletic Conference foe. OLOL dipped to 18-7 overall and 14-7 in RRAC play against LSUA, which locked up it second straight conference crown Tuesday with a 19-point home win over Xavier.

EJ McQuillan poured in a team-high 23 points. He posted a 5-for-9 mark behind the arc. Kashie Natt accounted for 14 points. Jakemin Abney added 12, while Isaiah Howard and Jordan Decuir tallied 10 points. Brayden Thompson led the Generals (24-1, 21-1 RRAC) in rebounds with 12.

Just over three minutes into the game, back-to-back buckets from Natt, and a jumper from Abney, gave the Generals their first double-digit lead, 14-3.

Leading 23-15, LSUA went on an 18-0 run in a little over three minutes for a 39-14 advantage. The Generals’ lead reached 29 points with 1:39 left in the first half on a trey from Abney.

LSUA had 11 different players record points, and 14 different players notch at least one rebound. They held the Saints to just four second chance points.

The Purple and Gold are back at home for Senior Day on Saturday as they host Texas A&M-San Antonio. Tip is scheduled for 3 o’clock following a 1 p.m. women’s contest.

LSUA WOMEN 64, OLOL 59: A fourth-quarter rally made the difference for the Generals as they notched a 20-win season (20-6, 17-5) and dropped the visitors (8-16, 6-15) behind good bench play.

“We came out on fire in the first quarter,” LSUA coach Billy Perkins said. “We were really gelling on offense and defense. I think we got a little relaxed in the third, we only scored six points, very disappointed in the third quarter. Way to respond to the challenge in the fourth quarter. We tried to platoon some and I’m very proud of our second bunch, we call them the Blue Bunch, in how they competed and kept the intensity.”

Jewel Jones led the Generals (20-6, 17-5 RRAC) with 14 points. She shot 50 percent from long range and is now 35 points away from reaching 1,000 for her career. Benedetta Peracchi recorded 11 points and 8 rebounds.

LSUA opened an 18-point first half lead but the visitors recovered and led 53-47 early in the fourth quarter.
An Amani Gray free throw, layups from Peracchi and Justice Young, followed by two Reese Stephens free throws moved the Generals back on top, 54-53.  Peracchi and Martin-Hartwick each recorded a basket, before Gray knocked down a jumper for a three-point edge with a minute to play, 60-57.  Four free throws from Dannah Martin-Hartwick and Jones sealed the victory, 64-59.

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